Harry Potter and the Tome of Ancients
by shane.sandberg
Summary: Harry Potter was born with a photographic memory. Yet, he was placed with his abusive relatives and forced to appear like someone who is completely worthless, stupid and a bane to humanity. Is Hogwarts the answer? Will the people he come across make a difference or will he become an outcast in a society that has already thrown him out once? (ultimately Harry/Daphne)
1. Chapter 1: Saved From the Dursleys

Chapter 1: Saved From the Dursleys

A young boy sat alone outside seemingly tending to the garden in which he had been placed rather forcefully by his uncle. To the neighbors, this young boy seemed to be an enigma. He had suddenly shown up at No. 4 Privet Drive roughly 10 years ago and has been rarely seen since the day he had been placed on the Dursley's doorstep.

Of course, there was speculation as to why the neighbors had rarely seen the young boy but nobody knew what exactly the real story was surrounding him. It most likely had to do with the rumors that were being spread about him stating that he was a delinquent and because of this fact his relatives kept an extremely close watch on the child rarely, if ever, letting him out of their sight. Nobody ever made any attempt to get close to the young child, why would someone want to be acquainted with a trouble maker?

The young boy, whom the neighbors were unsure of his name was actually called Harry. Even Harry barely knew his name until he started primary school when his teacher was taking role call and said, "Harry Potter". There was no answer and after the teacher finished the role call, he approached the child and asked his name. Harry responded with the only name that he had ever been called, "My name is Freak. At least, that's what my relatives call me." Harry was immediately sent to the office where the principal then called and talked to his relatives who assured the principal that Harry was just acting out, he had been a troublemaker ever since they had taken him in and that if he acted up the principal and teacher had their permission to ensure that he was properly punished for his delinquent actions. Upon arriving back at Privet Drive after his first day of class, he received the worst beating that he had ever gotten from his uncle. Thus continued Harry's treatment for the next couple of years.

Harry sat in the garden, contemplating how and why his life had turned out the way that it did. Remembering back to the worst beating he had received (up to date), Harry decided that he had ultimately made the right decision in how he should behave and he took it upon himself to make sure that he acted in a way that his relatives deemed appropriate. He rarely, if ever talked. He would only respond if spoken to directly and would never raise his hand in class and always made it appear as if he was less intelligent than his cousin Dudley (mainly because if he received better grades than Dudley, he knew that he would be beaten upon returning to his domicile).

Harry did the only thing that he could in an attempt to save his own sanity and that was to read. And read he did! Harry read almost everything that he could find in an attempt to integrate himself into a different world, one where he felt appreciated, one where he felt he could belong. Amongst Harry's favorites were The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings and and pretty much any book that referenced Merlin.

While reading Harry discovered that he could remember everything that he read down to the most miniscule detail and after spending ample time attempting to discover what this meant, he discovered that he had something called a photographic memory. Upon discovering that he had a photographic memory, Harry spent as much time as he could allot to reading and learning different languages focusing mainly on: Latin, Greek, Old Norse, French and German. Although Harry was able to remember everything he ever read, he couldn't really spend time applying what he had learned, it was hard to find someone capable of carrying on a conversation in most of the languages that he spent time learning but he was able to utilize this new knowledge to translate literature.

Harry loved to read but he was only able to read when his aunt and uncle left him alone in the house or when he was at school if they allowed the children to get books out of the library. The Dursley's did not encourage Harry to get an education, they wanted Harry to know his place. They wanted Harry to know that he was what they had always been calling him, a Freak. Harry would never be better in their eyes than their son Dudley and if it appeared that he was going to be more successful in any way, they beat him until he understood his role in their lives.

To the world, Harry's mere existence seemed to be a bane to those around him ultimately destroying any good that may happen in their lives but, in reality, it was the other way around and one day Harry would make something of himself! As he sat there in the garden, Harry knew that he was going to utilize his skills and ultimately he was going to become someone who would lead the sheep who permeated the earth. All he had to do was use his knowledge and the world would be his… Because, as they say, knowledge is power!

* * *

The months passed slowly for young harry until the month before his 11th birthday. Exactly a month before his birthday, he got a strange letter in the mail that his uncle, Vernon, grabbed and ripped to shreds right away. This continued for the next two weeks until one day, instead of just getting one letter, Harry received hundreds of letters which cluttered the Dursley home. Harry was able to grab one of the letters and managed to escape to his cupboard under the stairs and read about his invitation to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This had to be a joke, right?

His aunt and uncle swore up and down that the Freak would not be attending Hogwarts, instead scrambling to go on a vacation so that they would stop getting letters regarding the school that Harry's name had been penned in for since birth. They adamantly denied that Hogwarts was a real place, telling Harry to shut his freak mouth and reinforcing the idea that his parents had died in a car crash. They even went so far as to tell him that if he didn't stop attempting to force the issue the same thing would be happening to him, a lot sooner than it happened to his parents.

* * *

At 12:01 a.m. there was a loud noise as the door was blown off it's hinges. Vernon and Petunia had taken the boys to a small hovel of a house in the middle of nowhere on a small island yet apparently, it was still possible to track them down. The largest man that Harry had ever seen ducked to get through the doorway, introduced himself as Hagrid and proceeded to hand Harry a smashed parcel which to his surprise contained a birthday cake and a letter which once again offered him a place at Hogwarts.

Harry looked at the mountain of a man in surprise and whispered, "What is Hogwarts, I thought that this was all just some kind of a big joke?"

Hagrid looked at Harry and said, "Blimey Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your parents learned it all?"

"Learned what?" Harry said with a confused look on his face.

"You're a wizard Harry, and a mighty good one I'd wager once you're trained up a little bit." Hagrid replied.

Vernon and Petunia were quite adamant that he would not be going but the man who called himself Hagrid convinced them otherwise. Hagrid said that he worked for some man named Dumbledore who he claimed was the greatest wizard of all time and that there was no way that they could do anything to stop Harry taking up his rightful place at Hogwarts. So, with a nod of his head and a wave of his hand, Harry disappeared through the doorway with Hagrid. Harry was excited at the prospect of finding a place where he truly belonged and maybe this would be the start of that new adventure!


	2. Chapter 2: Gringotts

Author Note - I don't have a beta reader currently and am bound to make mistakes, if you see anything that needs to be fixed, feel free to message me and I will change it. Also, I work a lot so I will probably only be updating about once a week, maybe more if I can find some free time. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to read this and hope that you enjoy it!

 _Italics_ \- Indicates thought

* * *

Chapter 2: Gringotts

Hagrid was leading Harry through London to a place that he told Harry was the gateway to the Wizarding World. Harry followed intently, soaking in the atmosphere and appreciating being somewhere new for a change.

They arrived at a shady tavern, Harry looked up and saw a sign that read, The Leaky Cauldron. He followed Hagrid inside and the barman greeted Hagrid as if he was an old friend. They worked their way through the crowded tavern and exited out a side door where Hagrid showed Harry how to open the way to the Wizarding World.

Harry was amazed at each shop they passed, he did his best to remember which store carried what and knew that he would have to find the time to come back here unaccompanied so that he could look around some more. He followed Hagrid to a colossal building which dwarfed the surrounding buildings and quickly followed him inside.

Harry was met by the strangest sight he had ever seen. Hagrid told him that most of the things that worked at Gringotts were magical creatures known as Goblins. They were supposedly quite greedy creatures and were absolute sticklers about maintaining the most secure bank in the world.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal," Hagrid said to the nearest teller.

"And who may I ask are you and do you have your key?" The goblin responded.

"Yes, I have it here somewhere," Hagrid exclaimed as he dug through his pockets, ultimately bringing out a small key that had a large P imprinted onto the end of it. "I am supervising Harry Potter here and this is his key," Hagrid said as he placed it on the counter.

"Really?" the Goblin looked upon the duo with curiosity. "I will have a Goblin take him down to his vault, but you must remain here seeing as you are not his legal guardian. You understand procedure."

Hagrid just shook his head and replied, "That's okay, I have Hogwarts business anyway. Harry I'll be back in about two hours."

Harry watched Hagrid's retreating form then turned back to the Goblin wondering what he should do.

"Wait here, Mr. Potter, someone will be with us shortly," said the Goblin.

* * *

Harry took a seat on the nearest bench and sat in awe, watching the people and creatures around him for what seemed like eternity.

"Mr. Potter? My name is Griphook and I will be taking you to your vault. But first, we must make a stop so that you can talk to Bloodaxe since he manages the Potter affairs."

Harry just nodded and followed Griphook. They arrived at a wide hallway that was filled with doors, each with a shiny brass nameplate attached to identify who the office belonged to. Griphook lead Harry a little over halfway down the corridor then turned to the door on his left and knocking.

"Enter."

Bloodaxe sat at his desk, waiting. _Who was this boy to not respond to his summons? Why did he never write back or notify the bank that he received his monthly statements?_ This was going to be interesting…

Griphook lead Harry into Bloodaxe's office and told Harry to sit before making a hasty exit from the room.

"Mr. Potter, I presume?"

"Yes, sir" Harry stammered out in response, slightly intimidated by the older goblin.

"Are you aware that you have been receiving mail from Gringotts since your birth on a monthly basis which showed all of your balances and statements regarding your vaults? Why have you never answered any of the summons that were sent to you? Why is this the first time that we are seeing you? There is much to be done and a short amount of time to get you caught up…" Bloodaxe snarled out of irritation.

"Ummm…. I'm sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have never received any mail from Gringotts or anywhere else in the Wizarding World for that matter. I didn't even know that I was a wizard until yesterday. I mean no offence, I had no idea that anybody would attempt to contact me, especially with the way I was treated by my relatives…" Harry's voice kept getting quieter and quieter as he spoke until it was no longer possible to hear what he was trying to say.

"You're telling me that you have never received any correspondence from Gringotts or anywhere else in the Wizarding World?"

Harry just shook his head, "Yes, that is what I believe I just told you."

Bloodaxe examined Harry carefully, attempting to discover if this boy was lying to him. It took Bloodaxe a couple of minutes to come to a decision and when he spoke once again it was in a careful yet harsh tone, not meant to upset Harry but still showing his discontent at finding out this information.

"Mr. Potter, tampering with mail especially correspondence from Gringotts is a capital offense and is seen as a slight against the Goblin Nation. Whoever has been taking your mail will be in for a rude awakening once it is discovered who is doing this… Now, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Bloodaxe, I have been the Goblin in charge of the Potter family accounts for hundreds of years. Your great-great grandfather chose me to be the keeper of your accounts and we have steadily sustained and maintained a mutual understanding that is beneficial for both myself and your family."

He took a deep breath and continued, "I keep track of all investments that come out of your accounts and I have been entrusted to do my utmost to continue increasing revenue for your accounts. The agreed upon percentage that I receive for my work is currently 5% of whatever is made and it has remained that way since our contract has been written. I also overlook and make sure that all properties are paid for and maintained so they are all habitable. I would like to discuss everything with you if you have the time but before I can talk about any of this information, there is something that needs to be done to ensure that you are who you say you are…"

Bloodaxe slipped a sharpened quill across the desk to Harry before explaining, "I need you to prick your finger with this quill and let 3 drops of blood fall onto this parchment I have just placed in front of you. By doing this, it will tell me exactly who you are, will give a brief summary of your accounts and will also tell us which type of magic you are more likely inclined to excel at. So, if you please this shouldn't take too much of your time."

Harry winced in pain as he stabbed his finger then quickly moved his finger over the parchment and squeezed his finger to ensure that the necessary amount of blood made it onto the parchment. As soon as the third drop fell from his finger, it instantly healed and it felt as if he had never even hurt his finger in the first place. He looked up in amazement then remembered… It's magic!

Bloodaxe carefully shifted the parchment away from Harry before telling him that it would take a couple of minutes for the magic to fully manifest its way onto the parchment.

* * *

Bloodaxe looked down at the parchment, surprise etched upon his face.

 **Harry James Potter**

 **Born:** 7/31/1980

 **Son of:** James and Lily Potter

 **Heir To:**

Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter

Most Ancient and Noble House of Black

Most Ancient and Noble House of Ravenclaw (dormant, must pass test by founder)

Most Ancient and Noble House of Emrys (dormant, must be accepted by family magic)

 **Wealth:**

3,000,000 Galleons, currently in investment earning a 7% rate

5,000,000 Galleons, currently sitting in Potter Family vault earning a 3% yearly flat rate

100,000 Galleons, currently in a Trust Vault until becoming of age and/or emancipated (refills yearly)

Potter Family Vault also contains an unspecified amount of family heirlooms, books, jewelry, etc. Can only be accessed by Harry.

 **Properties:**

James and Lilies Cottage - Godric's Hollow (claimed by the Ministry as a National Monument)

Potter Castle - Lismore, Scotland (under Fidelius - Secret Keeper - Bloodaxe)

Potter Vacation Home - Livadia, Crete (under Fidelius - Secret Keeper - Bloodaxe)

Potter Getaway Cottage - Nerroth, France (under Fidelius - Secret Keeper - Bloodaxe)

 **Abilities:**

Anigmus (multiple)

Legilimens

Occlumens

Parselmouth

Photographic Memory

Bloodaxe cleared his throat before speaking, "Mr. Potter, it is apparent that you are who you claim to be. For the most part the information is straight-forward, there are a couple of things that are listed on here that I highly suggest that you do not discuss with anyone but myself. The reason for this is that you do not want people to know which houses you are associated with until the time is right. For now, just let people think that you are the Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I will explain all in due time. Some other things that have shown up are quite… troubling… I will discuss what I can now but I would appreciate if you would come back tomorrow to discuss more so I have some time to research it."

Harry just nodded his head, confusion written all over his face. He waited patiently for Bloodaxe to start explaining whatever was on the parchment while thinking to himself, " _What are these abilities that it is referencing?"_

"First, I know that you understand that you are the Heir to the Potter family, seeing as how you are a Potter. Next, as to how you are Heir to the House of Black I will have to do some digging around and I will fill you in once I know exactly how that came to be. For the last two Houses, Ravenclaw and Emrys, they have been dormant for well over a thousand years and it is quite surprising that you could possibly lay claim to not only one but both of these houses… We will look into this and let you know what we discover."

"Second, as to the claims about your wealth, it is correct. The amounts have been rounded to the nearest Galleon but are accurate. Currently, the only money that you may use until you are emancipated or come of age is the money in your Trust Vault. It will continue to be restocked once a year on your birthday until you come of age. You may access your family vault but you are only able to removes specific items from it until magic deems you worthy of utilizing an item."

"Third, in reference to your properties I am able to transfer all knowledge of these properties to you so that you may become the Secret Keeper for your own properties. I was given the knowledge by your father in case anything ever happened to him and was told to transfer these to you as soon as I was able."

"Lastly, the abilities. There is only one recorded wizard who was capable of having multiple anigmus forms, if you are interested in becoming an anigmus it is something that you must work very hard to accomplish but it is very rewarding. The ability Legilimency allows you to look into other people's minds or push ideas/thoughts into another's mind. The counter to Legilimency is Occlumency which allows you to protect your mind from being invaded by someone who knows Legilimency. Parselmagic or a parselmouth is able to communicate with snakes, this ability is quite rare in the Magical World and is genuinely thought to only be known by prolific dark wizards, it is not something that I would tell other people about unless absolutely necessary. Having a photographic memory is also something that is quite uncommon but was attributed to Rowena Ravenclaw, I am assuming that by now you already know you possess this skill so I won't go into it."

"Now, Harry do you understand everything that I just told you? Do you have any questions?" Bloodaxe asked, looking at the child in front of him.

Harry just stared at Bloodaxe, he was dumbfounded. His mind was racing yet he didn't know if he could put together a cohesive question. Where to begin?

"Bloodaxe sir, I need to think about all of the information that you just gave me. Do you happen to have a portfolio or statements regarding my vaults? When can you transfer over the information regarding the properties? And… What else did you need to tell me? You asked if I could come back again, possibly tomorrow…?"

Bloodaxe looked at Harry with a newfound respect. Rarely had any human shown him any type of respect, they just treated the Goblins with disdain. Yet Harry had listened to everything that he told him and was actually regarding what he said with curiosity and interest. Maybe there was hope after all.

Bloodaxe looked up at Harry once again before speaking, "Yes, Mr. Potter, If you make a list of questions and concerns and bring it with you tomorrow I will address any and all questions that you may have. As to the ones that you did ask, I do currently have a portfolio with all of your statements for each of the vaults that you have access to and I can transfer the information regarding the properties whenever you are healthy enough to receive them. This brings me to one of the reasons that I asked for you to return tomorrow. I want you to be looked over by a Healer for a couple of reasons. You are too short and skinny for a boy of your age, you appear to be malnourished and I am assuming that you have never been to see a Healer to receive the shots you need for Wizarding diseases such as Dragon Pox. So, if possible I would like you to return so that we can make sure that you are healthy. Once that is taken care of, I will answer your questions and transfer the properties over to you."

Harry just shook his head, "You're right. I have never seen a Healer before. This meeting has opened up a whole new avenue of confusing thoughts in regards to my upbringing… Do you know if my parents happened to have Wills?"

Bloodaxe stared at Harry before asking, "Why?"

Harry responded, "I want to know why I was sent to live with my non-magical aunt and uncle. I am assuming that in their Wills my parents specified whom I was supposed to be left with in case of something untoward happening to them?"

"I will look into it Mr. Potter, I should know more by tomorrow. Now, you need to be off to collect some money to pay for your school things. I believe that Hagrid will be back soon. Remember what I told you, do not tell anyone of this meeting. Now, I have a gift for you before you leave. These books will help you understand your place in society and will help you start to develop your Occlumency shields. I highly suggest that you read them tonight so you have an idea of what your role in society is and to protect yourself from outside influences."

Bloodaxe shoved a small stack of books towards Harry before saying, "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Just ask to see me when you arrive, I'll be waiting for you."

Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement then said, "Thank you for everything, Bloodaxe. I really appreciate everything that you've done for me and I will make sure to do as you suggest. Thank you for your valuable time!"

Harry heard a knock at the door as he was rising from his chair and Griphook entered Bloodaxe's office. Griphook motioned for Harry to follow him as he walked out of the office.

* * *

The ride down to his vault was by far one of the most fun experiences that Harry had ever experienced. Harry grabbed some gold from his vault and followed Griphook back up to the main lobby in Gringotts.

Hagrid was waiting for Harry and gestured towards Harry before turning and making his way through the crowds and out towards the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.

It was an interesting day and it wasn't over yet.


End file.
